Beauty brand TOOQ apologizes after mesh lingerie-shaped pouch sparks backlash

Beauty brand TOOQ has apologized and deleted a post after drawing criticism for sharing photos on its official social media account featuring a pouch shaped like women's mesh lingerie.

The brand posted an apology on its Instagram story Tuesday, saying it was "sincerely sorry for the confusion and discomfort caused by content recently posted on our official account."

TOOQ said the pouch shown in the content was a personal item used as a prop for the shoot and was never planned or intended to be offered as a gift with purchase.

The brand added that during production, props used for filming were not clearly distinguished from actual products being offered, which led to the misunderstanding that the pouch would be included as a free gift. "We take full responsibility for the entire process, from content planning and production to review," it said.

The controversy erupted after TOOQ posted photos on its official social media account showing its beauty products placed inside pouches of various colors shaped like women's mesh underwear. One image showed a woman holding one of the pouches over her legs.

After the photos went public, criticism poured in online from women — the brand's core customer base. Commenters wrote that they "had to do a double take," that the brand had "crossed the line," and that the move was "too offensive." Others said it looked like the company had "tried to give it away as a gift and backed off when the reaction was bad," while some added they "wouldn't take it even if it were free."

TOOQ said it deleted the post after reviewing customer feedback and pledged to "more thoroughly examine the appropriateness of props used, the manner of expression, and the accuracy of information conveyed, to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents."